Apparatus fob feeding elastic



y 1942- s. w. ALDERFER 2,290,628

APPARATUS FOR FZEEDJING ELASTIC THREAD AT'A UNIFORM TENSION I i Filed Oct. 14, 1940 a I I 22 25 I J 59 l 1 w 5, 37 /7 5 34 I1 I I I 1; 52 f}. g l A? h {6' I INVENTOR ATTORNEYS method of feeding Patented July 21, 1942 2,290,628 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING ELASTIC THREAD AT The Firestone A UNIFORMTENSION Sterling w. Alderfer, Akron,

Tire & Rubber Ohio, asslgnor to. Company, Akron,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 14, 1940, Serial No. 361,048

4 Claims.

This invention relates to elastic thread, and more especially to method and apparatus for feeding elastic thread at a uniform tension.

At the present time, all circular knitting machines utilize the knitting needles to draw the amount of thread into the fabricated article. Variations in the length or degree of stretch desired are adjusted by varying'the motion of the knitting needles. When elastic thread, such as rubber thread, or covered rubber thread is knitted, the same practiceis followed except that the thread is fed through a tension device before it is fed to the knitting needles. The amount of elastic thread fed into the machine then is governed not only by-the knitting needles but also by an extra factor applied to the thread through the tension device.

The present invention, broadly speaking,- is to provide methods and apparatus for feeding elastic thread to a knitting machine and controlling prior thread feeding devices in that the. knitting needles themselves do not determine the amount of thread fed to the knitting machine. Y

The general object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a novel and improved elastic yarn at a constant rate to a desired point, such as a knitting machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide uncomplicated, inexpensiveapparatus for posltively feeding uniformlytensioned rubber thread at a uniform rate to a desired fabricating device.

The above and further objects will be manifest from the following specification, which will be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of apparatus embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a sideelevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an elevation of a modified type of drive means for use in practicing the invention.

Referring to the specific parts shown in the drawing, a frame I is motor II that in turn drives a shaft |2. This motor I! also drives a circular knitting head I3 that is carried by the frame III for rotation thereon. A large sprocket gear I4 ,secured on a shaft I5 that is journaled on the frame I8, is driven from the shaft I2 through gear I6 engaging with the sprocket gear I4.

the machine which is required to make the particular stretch desired in provided that supports a Elastic thread I1 to be fed to the fabricating head I3 is carried on a spool I8 having flanges I9 at the edges thereof with the spool I8 being supported on a cylindrical roll 2|. This roll 2| is carried on a shaft 22 that is journaled in vertically directed arms 23 that are secured to a bracket24 carried on a rod 25 that is aflixecl to the frame It]. Two arms bracket 24, being positioned at opposite edges thereof, and the upper ends of the arms 23 have slots 28 formed therein. A shaft 21 extends through the spool I8 and the ends thereof are confined in the slots 26 whereby the spool I8 is permitted to move up and down in a vertical plane but is held against other movement, whereby the spool |8 can be rotated while positioned by the arms 23. A constant speed drive is provided for the roll 2| whereby a constant surface rotational speed is given to the spool I8 and the thread I1 is unrolled therefrom at a uniform rate. The thread |1 must be wound upon the spool I8 under uniform tension. The roller 2| is driven by a belt 28 that extends between a conical roll 29 carried on the shaft 22 "and a conical roll 3| which is carried on the shaft 32 that is journaled. on arms 33 carried by the frame I 0 adjacent the sprocket gear I4. A small spur gear 34 is also carried by the shaft 32 and it engages with the gear I4 to be 'positively driven thereby. Note that the conical rollers 29 and 3| have opposite directions of taper whereby the speed at which the roll 29 can be driven can be varied by changingthe position of the belt 28 relative to the driving roll 3| and the driven roll 29. A belt positioning yoke 35 is supported on the rod 25 through a bar 36 with the yoke 35 being movable along the bar 36 whereby the yoke 35 can be placed in any desired position and then retained in'such position. belt 28 in its through the thereby.

Removal of the thread I1 from the spool I8 is facilitated by means of positively driven pinch rolls 31 and 31a between which the elastic thread is drawn, These rolls 31 are driven by a chain 38 that exends between a sprocket 39 carried on the driven shaft 22 and a sprocket 4|, on the shaft 42 mounting the roller 31. Note that the sprocket 39 is larger than the sprocket 4| whereby the pinch rolls 31 and 31a are rotated faster than the shaft 22. .Then, too, the diameters of the rolls 31 and 31a are substantially the same as the roller 2| whereby the surface speed of the rollers 31 and 31a is faster than the surface speed of roller 2|, Hence rolls 31 and 31a set up addi- This maintains the given position, since the belt passes yoke and its position is limited 23 are provided on the -the drive rollers.

2 tional tension on the thread I'I unwrapped from the" spool It. The thread ll goes directly to the knitting head I3 from the pinch rollers 31 and 31a. Ordinarily, the knitting head l3 requires a shorter length of thread than that length of thread, as tensioned, which the pinch rollers pull from the spool l8. Hence, the thread l1 may relax appreciably between the pinch rollers and the knitting head.

The pinch rollers 31 and 31a function to draw the elastic'thread positively from the roll is and prevent the thread from sticking or catching on the spool. Note that the feed of the thread from the spool I8 is constant and is determined solely by the speed at which the roll 2| is driven. Figure3 shows a modification of the belt driving means positioned between the conical drive rolls 29 and 3| of Figures 1 and 2. In this instance a belt 28a is compressed between rolls 29a and 3la and merely looped loosely around the lower drive roll. An arcuate guide sleeve BI is providedwhich positions the belt 28a and leads it into a predetermined position between This arcuate guide 5| is retained in position by spring'52 that is mounted on a support 53 carried by and transversely adiustable on a rod 56.

In view of the foregoing it will be seen that an inexpensive apparatus and method for-feeding elastic thread at a uniform rate has been provided and the objects of the invention have been realized.

It will be appreciated that the foregoing description of the invention poses only and that the scope of the invention includes modifications thereof such as comeunder the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for feeding elastic thread comprising a spool having elastic thread thereon, roller means for supporting said spool directly on the thread carrying surface thereof, means for retaining said spool on said roller means, a circular knitting head, means for driving said circular knitting head, said means being connected to drive said roller means, pinch rolls between which the thread passes in going from said spool to said knitting head, and means connecting said pinch rolls to said roller means whereby said pinch rolls are rotated faster than the surface speed of said roller means and said thread is tensioned and pulled from said spool by'said pinch rolls.

2. Apparatus for feeding elastic thread comprising a spool having uniformly tensioned elastic thread wrapped therearound, roller means for supporting said spool directly on the thread carrying surface thereof, means for V retaining said spool on said roller means, means for driving said roller means, the thread passes, and means connecting said pinch rolls to said roller means whereby said pinch rolls are rotated faster than the surface speed of said roller means and said thread is tensioned and pulled from said spool by said pinch rolls. g

3. In apparatus for feeding elastic thread at v a constant rate, the combination of a spool havis for illustrative puring uniformly tensioned elastic thread on the surface thereof, means for rotating the outer periphery of the thread covering on said spool at a uniform rate to unroll thread therefrom, and means for uniformly increasing the'tension of the thread as it is drawn from said spool at a uniform rate. a

4. Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein the elasto a kn'ittinghead and the means for drawing the thread from the spool preventstransfer of any tension in the elastic thread produced by said knitting head to the thread on the spool.

' STERLING W. AIDERFER.

pinch rolls between which-- 

